Previously, Zaslav had served as president of NBC Cable Distribution since April 1996. He joined NBC in 1989 and was instrumental in the launching of CNBC that same year. Under Zaslav’s direction, CNBC has been one of the fastest-growing major basic-cable services in the United States and today reaches more than 82 million subscribers in the United States. Zaslav was also a key player in the successful launch of MSNBC in 1996. Under his leadership, MSNBC has grown to 64 million subscribers, with commitments to reach more than 70 million subscribers by 2003.

Zaslav directed NBC’s 1993 retransmission-consent negotiations, which were instrumental to the launch of MSNBC, and is currently overseeing the company’s retransmission-consent and digital strategy and negotiations with the cable and DBS industry. He was also influential in securing the distribution of the Olympics on CNBC and MSNBC through 2008.

NBC’s cable interests include distribution of CNBC and CNBC World (owned by NBC), MSNBC (a partnership with Microsoft) and ShopNBC (owned by ValueVision International, GE Equity and NBC) to cable-television systems and satellite-television providers across the country. NBC Cable also maintains interests in the Arts & Entertainment Network, the History Channel and National Geographic Channels International, and has an equity stake in Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc., a leading media company with a wide array of entertainment and sports cable channels, including AMC, Bravo, the Independent Film Channel, regional news and sports channels, and the Madison Square Garden Network.

In addition to his work at NBC, Zaslav is on the boards of the Arts & Entertainment Network, National Geographic Television, TiVo, RespondTV, Cable in the Classroom and New York City’s Center for Communications. He is an adjunct professor at Fordham University, where he teaches a graduate-level course on the business of cable television.

Before joining NBC, Zaslav was a corporate/entertainment attorney with the New York firm of LeBouef, Lamb, Leiby & MacRae. He graduated with honors from Boston University School of Law. He lives in the New York area with his wife, Pam, and their three children.

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